Another Angel in Heaven

Heaven has another angel today. When I think of the Beattitude “Blessed are the Pure of Heart, for they shall see God,” I think of both Mildred and Clarence. To be in their home, was to be surrounded by the loving Holy Spirit, and to be the recipient of that gracious and sincere love. I will cherish my times as their pastor, to read scripture with them, and to pray with them, only to have them conclude the prayer with a prayer for me as well. To be in their home, was to be a part of their family. To be with them was to be with those who already lived out eternal life as they lived their life every day.

Mildred: so sweet and quiet, but with a smile that revealed a joy deep within. A woman who was sometimes nervous, and a worry wart, but who calmed right down when Clarence just said, “It’s ok mama.”

Clarence and Mildred loved to sing. They loved their Gaither songs, and we would often sit in their living room and watch their Gaither tapes and sing right along. Let me correct that: Clarence and Mildred would sing, every word, with such amazing joy! I watched them and listened, because I wasn’t familiar with the words nearly as well as they were, and it was too much fun to just watch them!

So Mildred died as she lived. She died with a peaceful knowledge of God’s love for her, surrounded by her loving daughters, and singing all her favorite hymns. Who could ask for more? She was enjoying herself so much that even when she could no longer sing, she was tapping her toes!

Carolyn and Connie, you gave your mom such a wonderful gift. You lovingly and faithfully stayed with her, and loved her into the heavens. You held her hand on this side of life, knowing that she would be greeted and welcomed by Jesus, Clarence and all of her family who have gone before her. What a grand reunion! And so, while we grieve, we grieve not as one who has no hope. We grieve as those who know that to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord. We grieve as those who know that our separation is for but a little while, but we will see them again.

I can only imagine the conversation that Clarence and Mildred had when she first went home. It may have gone something like this: “Well Mildred, what took you sooooo long?”
“Well, I don’t know daddy. The girls and I were just having such fun singing and telling stories, I just decided to stay awhile longer! But I’m here now, forever.”

And let’s just say that Connie and Carolyn didn’t fall far from the tree, in being the loving and faithful women of God that their parents were. The blessings of God’s love and grace have truly been passed down to the next generations.

So as you grieve today and in the days to come, I hope you also spend a lot of time celebrating Mildred’s long and loving life. Continue to tell the stories; laugh, and cry, and celebrate all of the wonderful qualities that made the special person she was. I count my time as Mildred and Clarence’s Pastor as one of the greatest privileges of my ministry; a time when I know I received as much if not more from them as I ever gave.

God Bless you with comfort and peace and with rest.